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Jeffries

Frequently asked questions

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Compost

Can I plant straight into Compost?

Compost itself is not a growing medium, but a soil conditioner or soil amendment. It is organically rich but more of a good thing is not necessarily better. Using excessive amounts can create too much warmth for the plant roots and may not provide adequate drainage. Apply approximately a 3cm layer and mix it into your soil to provide the right mix

Why compost?

You should compost because it is good for your soil. One of the most important components for improving soil fertility is organic matter. Organic matter improves soil structure as well as water and fertiliser efficiency, ultimately leading to healthier plant growth.

General

Can I pickup from Jeffries?

Yes, you can pick up from Jeffries directly. We are located inside the Wingfield Waste and Recycling Centre at 412 Hanson Road North, Wingfield SA. Or, you can pick up from one of or fantastic reseller’s closest to you. Find out what reseller is closest to you here.

Alternatively you can order online and get it delivered to your driveway

Mulch

Why is there fungus/mushrooms in my mulch?

Mushrooms & fungal growth in woody mulch products is common during wet, cool & humid periods. This is part of the natural breakdown process.

We recommend raking the mulch layer to help aerate it and dry it up. We also like to remind you to use protective gloves and dust masks when raking.

Will my pet/baby/birds get sick from eating Jeffries Mulch?

 Jeffries mulch is composted and so has less pathogens than un-composted mulch.  Like any garden product we do recommend using gloves when you apply it. The colour that we use for our Forever Range of mulch is organic and not poisonous if any creatures eat it. 

However, if mulch has been consumed we recommend seeking medical advice.

When should I mulch my garden?

 Serious gardeners will tell you that the best time to apply your organic mulch is twice a year, at the end of Autumn and at the beginning of Summer.

 A late Autumn mulch will provide a ‘blanket’ to keep the soil warm over the cold winter period.  Mulching at this time also helps suppress the winter and spring weeds and provides organic matter which can break down ready to feed your plants in springtime.

 The second mulch time is to top up your mulch to 8 – 10cm deep at the end of Spring before the searing heat of summer.  This is a particularly important time to mulch to keep the moisture in

Why should I use Jeffries mulch instead of pea straw and leaves?

The best mulch you can use is organic and composted mulch.  When organic matter is composted, then screened for size, you can be sure that the mulch does not contain harmful levels of pathogens and things like weed seeds.  Mulches that haven’t been composted may contain harmful levels of pathogens like e-coli and salmonella, and often contain weed seeds that then infest your garden.

For more information on why you should use an organic composted mulch click here.

What is a composted mulch?

An organic composted mulch will decompose and improve soil fertility and organic content providing long term benefits for your garden and plants.  A thick layer of organic mulch will also provide good weed suppression and will keep soil cool in the heat of summer, and warm through the winter months which is good for soil structure as well as for maintaining the microbial diversity in the soil.

What mulch is best?

Because we want the mulch to provide long term nutritional benefit for our plants and return carbon to the soil as well as providing weed suppression and temperature control the best mulch is an organic, composted mulch. 

When should apply mulch?

Serious gardeners will tell you that the best time to apply your organic mulch is twice a year, at the end of Autumn and at the beginning of Summer.

A late Autumn mulch will provide a ‘blanket’ to keep the soil warm over the cold winter period.  Mulching at this time also helps suppress the winter and spring weeds and provides organic matter which can break down ready to feed your plants in springtime.

The second mulch time is to top up your mulch to 8 – 10cm deep at the end of Spring before the searing heat of summer.  This is a particularly important time to mulch to keep the moisture in the soil and to keep the soil cool, to maintain weed control and to provide the best insurance for keeping your garden thriving over summer.

You can mulch more or less often than this depending on your soil, climate, weeds, the look you want for your garden and the type of mulch you are using.  Course mulch takes longer to break down than fine mulch.

What is the difference between a Coarse and a Fine mulch? (coarse vs fine)

A heavier coarse mulch will be more effective in windy places than finer light mulch. It is very important to mulch if your garden is exposed to winds as the mulch will help to protect the soil from drying out. You may find you need to top up your mulch more frequently if exposed to wind. You could use our, Forever range or Gardeners Choice mulch if your garden is exposed to winds.

If you are wanting a mulch to break down and add organic matter to your soil quickly you would choose a fine mulch like our Jeffries Forest Mulch. This is a much finer mulch, meaning that the mulch will break down faster.

Why use mulch?

A heavier coarse mulch will be more effective in windy places than finer light mulch. It is very important to mulch if your garden is exposed to winds as the mulch will help to protect the soil from drying out. You may find you need to top up your mulch more frequently if exposed to wind. You could use our, Forever range or Gardeners Choice mulch if your garden is exposed to winds.

If you are wanting a mulch to break down and add organic matter to your soil quickly you would choose a fine mulch like our Jeffries Forest Mulch. This is a much finer mulch, meaning that the mulch will break down faster.

Online Store

Can I use Afterpay, Zip Pay or ‘buy now, pay later’ for the online store?

Currently, Jeffries does not have Afterpay, Zip Pay or other similar buy now pay later systems.

How much does delivery cost?

$35 per truck. One truck can deliver a maximum of 8 UNITS – which is what you can buy on our online shop. Anything over 8 UNITS will incur a second charge of $35.

Also, only $10 shipping for any number of bags!

How much is a unit on the online store?

1 unit = 0.76m3 (or one cubic yard). To put this in perspective, this is approximately one 6×4 trailer load.

Organics Recycling

Can I put weeds in my green bin?

Yes you can! All weed seeds are killed off during the heat of the composting process, therefore they will not transfer into our final products.

What are bioplastics and can Jeffries accept them?

In short bioplastics are “plastics’ made from plant or other biological material – (also referred to as being biobased) – as a substitute for petroleum based plastics.

Biobased means that the product is either fully or party derived from biomass. For example biomass can be corn, sugarcane or cellulose. For more information on bioplastics refer to “Bioplastics Explained”

When it comes to bioplastics, Jeffries only accepts bioplastics that are Certified Compostable to Australian Standards AS4737 or Certified Home Compostable to AS 5810. For more information please refer to “What it means to be certified compostable:”

Can Jeffries accept cotton?

Unfortunately Jeffries can not accept cotton. It does not break down in Jeffries composting process, even if the manufacture claims it is “100% compostable or 100% cotton” we still won’t accept it.

Can Jeffries accept latex?

Unfortunately Jeffries does not accept latex. All though it may break down eventually, we have tested latex and it does not break down in Jeffries composting process.

Can Jeffries accept tree trunks and stumps?

Yes! Jeffries can accept tree trunks and stumps and has the machinery to recycle them. For more information on how you can recycle with Jeffries contact us on 08 8368 3555.

Can I put cooking oil in my green bin?

Cooking oil can go in your green bin. Make sure the oil has cooled down sufficiently before putting in your green bin.
A couple of tips to avoid your green bin getting to messy:
Soak up the used cooking oil using paper towel or newspaper and then chuck in your green bin.
Second option is fill the bottom of your bin with grass clippings or newspaper to soak up the oil and then once cooled put the cooking oil in the green bin.

Why can’t food scraps just go in the normal rubbish bin?

There is still a vast amount of food scraps going into the waste bin and sent to landfill (‘the dump’) where they create methane, a greenhouse gas with 21 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide (CO2). Wasted food also wastes the energy, water, money and resources used to produce, process, store and transport the food. Recycling food allows it to be reused in a sustainable manner and processed into quality Organic Compost and returned into the garden to produce more vegetables, truly closing the loop on organics recycling.

Can I put paper/paper towels in my green bin?

Yes, you can put shredded paper into the compost bin.  You can also put paper towels and serviettes into the bin.

What happens to my green bin contents?

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<p>For councils that Jeffries recycles for, the organic material will be transformed into premium compost that is then used to improve the soil and grow more plants. <br>For more information on what happens to your organic material click here.</p>
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What can’t go in my green bin?

Any non compostable materials cannot go into our bins.  This includes:

  • Plastic – bottles, bags, meat trays, cling wrap, packaging
  • Paper products with plastic or other lining in them – milk cartons, waxed paper, cardboard, paper cups/plates (unless they meet the standard)
  • Plastic packaged food
  • Stone, metal

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